Tuskegee Airmen National Museum’s North American T-6G

History:
North American T-6G 49-3292
Manufactured at the North American Aviation Factory in Dallas, TX, as AT-6C s/n 42-48884, this advanced trainer was received by the Army Air Forces on March 27, 1943. From then until November 1945 it was assigned to the 2143rd AAF Base Unit at Tuskegee, AL.
Tuskegee Army Air Field was the site of the first pilot training facility for African-Americans in the then-segregated United States military. The first cadet class (42-C), began training there in July 1941. By the end of 1946, nine hundred and thirty-two pilots had been graduated. Three hundred and fifty-five of these pilots served overseas in the 99th Fighter Squadron and later the 332nd Fighter Group. Of those, 81 were killed in combat and 31 others were taken as prisoners of war. Aircraft flown by these outstanding warriors were the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, the Bell P-39 Airacobra, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, and ultimately, the North American P-51 Mustang. The 99th FS received two Presidential Unit Citations and the 332nd FG received another for a March 24, 1945 mission to Berlin that resulted in the destruction of three Me-262 jet fighters and the damaging of five more.
January 1951 this aircraft was returned to North American Aviation for re-manufacture. It emerged in April with its new identity as T-6G s/n 49-3292 one of 1,802 AT-6 aircraft modified under a 1949 USAF modernization program. Modifications included a raised instructor’s seat, new cockpit layouts, increased fuel capacity, square tipped propellers, and new landing gear and tail wheel. The aircraft’s tail was not painted red at the request of the Tuskegee Airmen, the only aircraft with the red tail was the P-51.
The Tuskegee Airmen National Museum currently owns this aircraft whose tail number is N747JE. This tail number honors the late James Edwards who was taught to fly by Richard Macon an original Tuskegee Airmen. James was on of America’s first African American airline pilots who worked hard to keep the history of the Tuskegee Airmen alive and accurate.

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Specifications

Registration Number	Date of Manufacture
N747JE	1943
Aircraft Role	Nickname
Trainer	“Pilot Maker”
Aircraft Type:	Wingspan:
North American AT-6/SNJ/ Harvard	42 feet .25 inches
Overall length:	Empty weight:
29 feet 6 inches	4158 pounds
Gross weight:	Fuel capacity:
5300 pounds	140 gallons/ 550 miles
Oil capacity	Engine type:
13 Gal.	Single 600 hp Pratt & Whitney R1340 AN-1 radial piston engine
Propeller type:	Max Speed
Hamilton Standard 12D40	205 mph
Rate of Climb	Cruise Speed
	155 mph
Service Ceiling	Number of Crew
21,500 feet	Two
Armament	Bomb Load
None	None
Number Built	Number Surviving
13000	800+

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Photos

Tuskegee Airmen National Museum's North American T-6G (Piloted by Brian R. Smith)

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Restoration
The last major restoration of this aircraft was in 1990. It is currently under going a continuous restoration to keep it in beautiful flying condition.

Restoration Images